Nishtha
It's been a week since the wedding and things were back to normal. Vamika had moved to her in-laws and we were feeling the void, but we were getting used to it. Maa and Papa were also better now and they got back to their work.
Last night, Yuvaan told me to be ready by 10am and to dress nicely. I had no idea what to expect.
So today, I was ready by 10, dressed in a simple skin tight checkered white and black dress with a strapped shoulder. My hair was braided and I had vans on my feet. Yuvaan arrived in a nice white thin sweatshirt and jeans and we made our way outside.
In the car, I asked him, "Where are we going?"
He didn't answer, just smiled and held my hand.
Confused, I decided to ask him again, "Yuvaan? Where are we going? Tell."
"Relax darling. You'll know. It's a Sunday, don't panic, just come with me."
I sighed and looked out the window. It was a silent drive until we stopped by the gates of a very familiar place.
Our University.
He parked and got down, then opened my door and I got down as he gave me his hand. I looked at the sight in front of me. I haven't been here in ages. The university was the same as before.
"Wh...What are we doing here?" I asked him.
He kissed the back of my palm, "I wanted us to visit where it all started. Come."
He led me through the gates and we walked around our university. I felt waves of nostalgia hit as I remembered how each and every corner of this campus has a story behind it. We walked through to the Great Hall, to the Library and then made our way to the Canteen.
"You'll still have the chai?" He asked and I smiled and nodded. He went and got us 2 cups of chai and we continued to walk while drinking.
"Do you remember that place?" He said, as he pointed to a secluded corner under a tree.
I blushed, "Shut up."
He chuckled, "Why? That was our fav place."
That corner.
We would always be at that corner.
It's special because that's where we would meet secretly when we were still hiding our relationship. He was a senior and I was his junior and he had a huge fan following so we kept our relationships under the wraps for almost 7/8 months before we made it official.
Let's just say, stuff happened at that corner ;)
"Let's go!" I said and took his hand as we walked around more. We reached a beautiful fountain which was in the middle of the Student Union. Being a Sunday, no one was really there, so we got to walk and roam around peacefully.
Then, we walked into the classrooms. We didn't share the same classes but once we made it official, there were many times when Yuvaan used to sit in my class with me. I sat on one of the chairs and he sat next to me. He took out his phone and took a picture of us and I chuckled at this antics.
"You're acting like some insta obsessed person!" I said, "Everywhere photo... photo."
"That should be your job, but here we are!" He said, "Now smile!" He said and took a pic.
I looked around and turned to see him having taken a picture of me. I ran to him and yelled, "I WASN'T READY!"
"Baby, look at you, you look amazing!" He said and showed me the picture. I saw it and I can't lie, it was a good picture.
So, I looked at him, "Okay fine."
We walked around and entered all the buildings one by one. I don't know why he decided to take us here but I'm so glad he did. I needed this.
I really needed to visit my past again - with him.
"Yuvaan," I said, "Thank you for this." I stopped him while we walked around, "I'm really glad we did this. I don't know why you planned to bring me here but I'm glad you did."
"Less talking more walking! Come!" He said and dragged me. I chuckled and we walked.
After 5 minutes, I noticed the building we were in front of and yelled, "Omg! Yuvaan!"
He halted in his tracks and looked at me, "What happened?"
"We're in front of that building. You know what this means!" I smirked.
He looked at the building, then looked at me, and then smirked, "Are you sure? You'll lose again."
I put my hands on my waist, "We'll see. Chal!"
We walked inside the building.
Sports and Fitness.
Back in university, Yuvaan and I used to play badminton a lot. A LOT. It was one of the ways we even became friends and later on.... more than friends. He taught me a lot of badminton that I know and I had stopped playing for a year after we broke up because it would remind me of him. Later on, I got back to it because whatever it was, it was my favorite sport.
We reached the door and paid for a 40 minute session and entered inside getting our racquets.
He kept his phone and goggles down and I removed my hand bag and kept it with him on the side. Then, he looked at me, "Ready?"
I nodded and he served. I hit it but he instantly smashed it and I wasn't able to defend.
I looked at him, "I couldn't see that."
He walked over to me and turned me around. I was confused, "What are you doing?"
"Wait." He said and I felt him take my hair and remove the hair tie and start to unbraid it.
"Yuvaan! How can I play if you do this?" I asked him, trying to stop him from untying it.
He held my hand and kept it down as he carried on untying my hair, "I'm not leaving your hair open." My hair opened and flowed, "But wow your hair is beautiful."
"Yuvaan!" I repeated.
"Sorry Sorry." He said and took my hair and tied it in a nice pony tail. He gathered my hair and used the hair tie to make 2 knots and tie it firmly. Then, he turned me around, "Perfect."
We got back to our positions and played a very fun yet competitive game, which he won, but only by a margin so I'm gonna just call it a draw!
"I told you I'll win!" He smirked.
"You only won because I let you win." I said.
"Oh really?" He smirked, coming closer.
"Yes." I couldn't say anything else.
He chuckled and we left the room. I went to the washroom and washed my face and fixed my makeup and came outside to see that he had done the same. Then, we left.
We continued to walk in silence. Our hands were constantly bumping into each other on our sides and I tried to ignore the goosebumps erupting whenever he'd touch me. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and then continued walking. I chucked and continued walking until he stopped walking and turned to me.
"What happened?" I asked him.
He looked at me and came closer, his eyes filled with emotions like love and passion. I wasn't able to understand what was happening. He came closer and grabbed my waist, "Nishtha..."
I hummed in response.
"Do you know where we are?" He asked.
I looked around until it hit me.
The Cherry-blossom.
I felt my eyes tear a little as I remembered the significance of this place.
This place was the placed when he asked me out. This was the place we had our first kiss - where I had my first ever kissed. Tbh, he's the only man I've ever kissed.
I nodded looking at him, "I remember."
He looked at me and cupped my face with one hand, his other hand still resting on my waist, "I wanted to bring you back here today because I wanted to ask you something Nishtha."
"What happened?" I asked, my heartbeat rising.
Suddenly, his hands left mine and he went on his knees, making me shocked, "Nishtha, I know that I've mistreated you real bad but trust me when I say that there's no other woman in my life other than you. I want you today and forever. I want to grow old with you. I want to have a family with you and even if we can't have children, I don't care, because you're all the family I want. If not kids, I want to have fur babies with you, and we won't have chihuahuas. I know you hate them, don't worry."
I chuckled between my tears.
"Nishtha, give me a chance to be the husband I had always said I would be to you. Give me a chance to be your friend and your husband. I will bring the world at your feet. Nishtha, today is 24th October, this time 7 years ago was the first time I laid my eyes on you at this very place and it was then that I had decided that I want you. Today is 24th October, this time 6 years ago, I had asked you to be my girlfriend at this very place and you had become mine. So, today, on 24th October, at this very place, I want to ask you to become mine again - this time for good.
Nishtha, will you marry me again?
Will you be my wife?"
I chocked on a sob as he took out a ring. I smiled and nodded my head, "Yes."
He smiled and quickly put a ring in my finger. He got up and I embraced him in a tight hug, with his hand wrapping around my waist.
I looked at him, "How did you get this ring?"
"I just took it while you slept. Thought I'll use it today. Sorry!" He smiled and I laughed.
He looked at me, "Can I kiss you Mrs Nanda?"
I smiled, "Thought you'd never ask, Mr Nanda!"
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